Built in 1718, the Alamo was a
missionary that was the first of 5 built to help convert Indians to
Christianity. The Alamo On February 23, 1836, General Antonio López de Santa
Anna marched an army through snow and mountains to wage a battle, against the
Texas rebellion. The city of San Antonio de Bexar was one of his targets; he
wanted to capture the Texas government and restore the rule of the central
Mexican government. The Alamo, originally named Mission San Antonio de Valero,
and home for Indians who converted to Christianity, in the late 1700s. From the
late 1700's thought about mid 1830, the mission would become a home for various
outfits including revolutionaries, rebels, and Mexican citizens. In 1835, the
Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution as Texian and Tejano
volunteers claimed independence from Mexico by occupying the Alamo and its
village, San Antonio de Bexar (San Antonio). The missionary protected the road
further northeast into Texas. Although the Alamo was not designed for military
purposes, the Texan militia and regulars fortified the post and mounted 18
cannons in it. Mexican forces would not be able to bypass the post and use
the road without trying to take over the Alamo. Mexican generals attacked the
Alamo in February of 1836, and 189 rebels defended the site. It culminated in a
13-day long siege, which ended March 6 with the capture of the mission and the
death of all of the Texan Defenders, including William Travis, Davy Crockett,
and Jim Bowie. The stories of how they fought to the last man became
legend.